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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538023">Titan's Crimson Flower</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cruxis54/pseuds/Cruxis54'>Cruxis54</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Retelling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:20:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,029</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cruxis54/pseuds/Cruxis54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff"><p>I don't own any content other than my ocs. Three Houses belong to Intelligent Systems.</p></div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edelgard von Hresvelg/Original Male Character(s), My Unit | Byleth/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Titan's Crimson Flower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't own any content other than my ocs. Three Houses belong to Intelligent Systems.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Hey, both of you. Time to wake up," Yuan blinked and sat up in his bed and saw the same man who he met all those years ago.</p><p> </p><p>His name was Jeralt, a traveling mercenary. He saved Yuan that night, and since he had no home to go back to, he brought him with him. After he did, he introduced him to his daughter. Her name was Byleth, and she seemed roughly the same age as Yuan, and was just as curious about Yuan as Yuan was about her. Jeralt wanted to hand Yuan over to an orphanage, but he refused, feeling safer with the man who saved him. With no other options, Jeralt decided to adopt him, and therefore, making Byleth his younger sister, only by a few days. Yuan was now 21 and has been traveling with them for over 10 years now.</p><p> </p><p>Ah, about Yuan. He is a young man of 21 years old with short, silver messy hair and red eyes, along with rectangular glasses. He currently stands only a bit taller than Byleth in terms of height. He is a bit lean, yet at the same time, shows quite a bit of muscle. He currently wears a blue leather coat with a black robe drenched over him. His personality can be quite emotionless, only ever expressing them around Byleth and Jeralt, however he will not hesitate to save a life if he is able to. </p><p> </p><p>"Were you having that dream again?" Jeralt asked Byleth. Lately she had been having strange dreams. Dreams she couldn't really explain.</p><p> </p><p>"I was dreaming about a young girl..." Byleth answered.</p><p> </p><p>"A girl? Who could it be?" Yuan asked.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not sure. She had green hair and eyes," Byleth answered.</p><p> </p><p>"You've described her to me before. I don't think I've ever met anyone like that," Jeralt said after a moment of thinking, "In any case, just put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts. Risking your life is part of the job for mercenaries like us. Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed.”</p><p> </p><p>Byleth nods, "Yes father.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeralt looked at Yuan, "And what about you Yuan? Having you been sleeping well?"</p><p> </p><p>"While better than before, some memories still linger," Yuan answered.</p><p> </p><p>"I see. Well try to keep them at bay for now. The past can't be allowed to distract you," Jeralt said.</p><p> </p><p>"Yes father," Yuan said with a nod.</p><p> </p><p>"OK, time to get moving. Our next job is in the Kingdom. I told you before. It's far from here, so we'll need to leave at dawn," Jeralt said.</p><p> </p><p>"Of course..." Byleth said.</p><p> </p><p>Jeralt noticed something, "Hm? Good grief. Everyone is already waiting for us outside".</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly one of the Mercenaries enters "Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed.”</p><p> </p><p>"What's happened?" Jeralt wondered. Yuan and Byleth shared a look before they followed their father outside, only to see two young men and a young woman waiting for them.</p><p> </p><p>"Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire," The blonde man said.</p><p> </p><p>"What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?"</p><p> </p><p>"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support," The man answered.</p><p> </p><p>"Bandits? Here?" Jeralt asked.</p><p> </p><p>"It's true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp," The woman said.</p><p> </p><p>"We've been separated from our companions and we're outnumbered. They're after our lives…not to mention our gold," The brown-haired man said.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm impressed you're staying so calm considering the situation. I… Wait. That uniform…" Jeralt seemed to realize something.</p><p> </p><p>The Mercenary from before spoke, "Bandits spotted just outside the village. Damn… There are a lot of them".</p><p> </p><p>"I guess they followed you all the way here. We can't abandon this village now. Come on, let's move. Hope you're ready," Jeralt told his son and daughter, both nodded at that and they hurried out to meet the bandits. Jeralt got on to his horse and pulled out his lance "Let's take care of those thieves before they overrun the village. Take down the enemies in front first. That should take the wind out of their sails."</p><p> </p><p>"Understood," Yuan said as he put on his bracelet. It was a one-of-a-kind accessory that was gold with a glowing red crystal embedded into it that Yuan had on him when Jeralt first found him. A Blastia as he referred it as. His Blastia glowed brighter and in his hand, materialized a spear, Corseca.</p><p> </p><p>The lady from before looked at Byleth, "You have a strange aura about you… You say you're a mercenary, so show me what you can do."</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you. We are in your debt. It wouldn't do for us to fall in a place like this. Please, lend us your strength. Let's work together to drive out these thieves," The blonde man said.</p><p> </p><p>"It's because of you guys that I'm not dead right now. Thanks for that! I didn't expect to run into mercenaries like you in some remote village. The gods of fortune must be smiling on me!" The brown-haired man said with a confident smile.</p><p> </p><p>"May we know your names so I will need to shout if any of you need a warning?" Yuan asked.</p><p> </p><p>The Blond man blinked, "Oh, of course, I am Dimitri.”</p><p> </p><p>"Hello there, my name is Claude," The brown-haired man said.</p><p> </p><p>"And I am Edelgard," The woman said.</p><p> </p><p>Yuan nods, "I am Yuan, and this is Byleth. Let's go."</p><p> </p><p>Everyone nods as they got ready when they saw the bandits approach.</p><p> </p><p>Yuan and Byleth nodded at each other before meeting the bandits head on. One swung at Yuan who easily side stepped and sliced through his spine, his mild body protection was not nearly enough to save him from the blow. When the second bandit tried to attack Byleth, the teal haired woman stabbed him through the heart, killing him instantly.</p><p> </p><p>The three strangers were impressed by the siblings’ skills, but knew they had to admire it later once the battle is over. Claude aimed his bow and shot an arrow into a bandit's skull. Dimitri spun his spear, striking a bandit in the head hard enough to knock his helmet off, and before he could recover, Dimitri rammed his spear through his chest. Yet another Bandit struck at Edelgard, but she spun around with the help of the weight of her ax, before said weapon struck in to the bandit's back, killing the rest of the front-line bandits.</p><p> </p><p>"We'll advance while protecting ourselves from the enemy. Take up position inside the forest," Jeralt ordered, with a nod everyone moved in to the trees. "Yes, good. If we're in the forest, we can sustain their attacks without losing the advantage."</p><p> </p><p>Yuan had learned by now that taking cover among trees was a useful way of avoiding arrows, and could help to surprise enemies. That said, the enemies could just as easily take advantage of the same idea, so they needed to keep their guard up. The bandits did not let up as an ax wielder charged at Yuan, aiming to cut him clean in half. But Yuan waited for the right moment before jumping high in to the air, letting the ax pass harmlessly under his feet. The bandit had just enough time to look up before Yuan came down with his spear raised and pierced right through his chest.</p><p> </p><p>Edelgard eyed Yuan carefully, he was skilled, very skilled... maybe. She was brought out of her thoughts when a bandit attacked her, forcing her to block the strike before kicking him back, right in to Dimitri's spear.</p><p> </p><p>"Damn. Why are there mercenaries in the village? Guess we'll have to deal with them too," Yuan looked in the direction of the voice and saw another bandit. But this one was different; he was bigger and rougher than the rest. He must be the leader, taking him out might force the bandits to flee.</p><p> </p><p>With this plan in mind, Yuan prepared to chant his spell, "Oh Mighty Explosion… Energy Blast!"</p><p> </p><p>A small sphere of energy was summoned over Kosta and exploded, knocking him down as a result. However, he immediately got up and went for one of the students, who happened to be Edelgard.</p><p> </p><p>Edelgard reached for a dagger she had on her, but was pushed out of the way by Byleth as the axe came down on her back.</p><p> </p><p>“BYLETH!” Yuan shouted as readied his Corseca, Blastia glowing brighter, having already foreseen this.</p><p> </p><p>But then everything went still.</p><p> </p><p>…</p><p> </p><p>Byleth finds herself in a black void. She opens their eyes and looks around.</p><p> </p><p>"Honestly! What are you accomplishing with that little stunt?! It's like you're trying to get me killed, you fool!" Byleth sees the girl from her dreams on her throne "Well, it's fine. After all if you don't know the value of your own life you're not going to protect it very well are you? Course not. Well then, I guess it's up to me to guide you from now on, right? You can call me Sothis…but I'm also known as The Beginning" She was silent for a moment "Hmm… Sothis… Yes, that is it. My name is Sothis. And I am also called…The Beginning. But who once called me that?"</p><p> </p><p>"What are you talking about?" Byleth asked.</p><p> </p><p>"I was not able to recall my name…until just now. And just like that, it came to me. How odd. That look upon your face… Did you think me a child? A mere child who forgot her own name?! Phooey! That "child" just saved your life! And what does that make you?" Sothis demanded.</p><p> </p><p>"I am no child," Byleth said, trying to not sound offended.</p><p> </p><p>"Ha! Such arrogance. You look the part but are you truly an adult? You threw yourself before an ax to save just one young girl. Did you not take a moment to think of what that older brother of yours would do if you died?" Sothis asked, Byleth looked down, of course, how could she not have thought about how Yuan would feel if he had to watch her die right in front of him. Sothis nods, pleased that Byleth understood now, "Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened."</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," Byleth said, sounding genuine.</p><p> </p><p>"There now. Is gratitude so much to ask? I did deem you worth saving, after all. Though it is only momentary, time has stopped. However did I manage that?" Sothis wondered.</p><p> </p><p>"What will happen when time resumes?" Byleth asked.</p><p> </p><p>"When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end. How rude of you to drag me into this! Now what to do..." Sothis said as she tried to think of what to do.</p><p> </p><p>"Turn back the hands of time," Byleth suggested.</p><p> </p><p>Sothis' face lit up, "Of course! I must turn back the hands of time! Yes, I do believe it can be done. You really are quite troublesome. I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time. Now, go… Yes, you who bears the flames within. Drift through the flow of time to find the answers that you seek…"</p><p> </p><p>…</p><p> </p><p>Byleth disappears into a vortex of time and returns to the moment before the bandit leader jumps to his feet. The event repeats but this time Byleth blocks the blow with her sword and sends the bandit flying back. Yuan breathes a sigh of relief and dematerializes his spear. However, he wondered what just happened as he didn’t activate his Blastia to change the future, yet it went differently from how he foresaw it.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey! Over here!" Claude called out as he and Dimitri ran up to the two girls with Jeralt and Yuan walking up to her from behind.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, did you just?" Jeralt began.</p><p> </p><p>Before he could say anything else several white knights showed up, one of them who was not wearing a helmet smiled. "The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students! Hey! The thieves are running away. Go after them," he ordered and some knights chased after the bandits "The students seem to be unharmed. And... who's this?"</p><p> </p><p>"Ugh…Why him?" Jeralt complained.</p><p> </p><p>The walked up with the biggest smile Yuan had ever seen. "Jeralt?! It is you! Goodness, it's been ages. Don't you recognize me? It's Alois! Your old right-hand man! Well, that's how I always thought of myself anyway. It must have been 20 years ago that you went missing without a trace! I always knew you were still alive!"</p><p> </p><p>"You haven't changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever. And drop that captain nonsense. I'm not your captain anymore. These days I'm just a wandering mercenary. One who has work to do. Good-bye, old friend," Jeralt said, clearly hoping Alois would just go away.</p><p> </p><p>"Right... Good-bye, Captain. Wait! That isn't how this ends! I insist that you return to the monastery with me!" Alois said, leaving little room for arguments.</p><p> </p><p>"Garreg Mach Monastery. I guess I have no choice," Jeralt sighed.</p><p> </p><p>"And how about you, kids? Are you the captain's children?" Alois asked.</p><p> </p><p>"That is correct," Byleth answered for both her and Yuan.</p><p> </p><p>"Is that so? Well, physical differences aside, your mannerisms do remind me of the captain" Alois said "I'd love for you to see the monastery too. You will join me, won't you?" Yuan and Byleth share a look before they nod and Jeralt sighs. "What's troubling you, Captain? You aren't about to run off again, are you?"</p><p> </p><p>"Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros," Jeralt said before leaving with Alois.</p><p> </p><p>"The Knights of Seiros... They do seem rather skilled," Sothis’ voice was heard inside Byleth's head startling her. "Ah. It seems your presence is required. Get going."</p><p> </p><p>While Byleth was seeming to have a mental conversation with herself, the three students approached her and Yuan.</p><p> </p><p>"I appreciate your help back there. Your skill is beyond question. You're clearly an experienced mercenary. And your father, that would be Jeralt, the Blade Breaker? Former captain of the Knights of Seiros. Often praised as the strongest knight to ever live. Have I missed something?" Edelgard asked.</p><p> </p><p>"I didn't know he was a captain," Byleth answered.</p><p> </p><p>“This is news to me,” Yuan added.</p><p> </p><p>"How curious. I'd wager the explanation for that is fascinating indeed," Edelgard mused.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey! You two are coming with us to the monastery, right? Of course you are. I'd love to bend your ear as we travel. Oh, I should mention that the three of us are students of the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. We were doing some training exercises when those bandits attacked. I definitely got the worst of it," Claude said.</p><p> </p><p>Edelgard glared at him, "That would be because you ran off.”</p><p> </p><p>"Too true! I was the first to make a strategic retreat. Everything would have worked out if these two hadn't followed me and ruined everything. Because of them, every single one of those bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous," Claude said.</p><p> </p><p>Dimitri gave him a suspicious look, "Ah, so that's what you were thinking, Claude. And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all."</p><p> </p><p>"His intentions were as clear as day. You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words," Edelgard scolded.</p><p> </p><p>"Hm. You will prove a lacking ruler if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on," Dimitri retorted.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, joy. A royal debate between Their Highnesses. I wonder how being completely predictable affects one's ability to wield power. Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I'd say your little exchange smacks of naiveté," Claude said coolly.</p><p> </p><p>"Me? Naïve? Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?" Edelgard asked, sounding a little insulted.</p><p> </p><p>Yuan and Byleth looked at each other, not expecting to be caught up in argument between students.</p><p> </p><p>"In any case, forgive our digression. I must speak with you, if you can spare a moment. The way you held your ground against the bandits' leader was captivating! You never lost control of the situation. It showed me I still have much to learn," Dimitri said.</p><p> </p><p>"Your skills is precisely why I must ask you to consider lending your services to the Empire. I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire's–" Edelgard began but Dimitri cut her off.</p><p> </p><p>"Halt, Edelgard. Please allow me to finish my own proposition. The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals such as yourself. Please, do consider returning to the Kingdom with me," He said.</p><p> </p><p>"Whoa, there! You two sure are hasty. Trying to recruit someone you just met. I was personally planning to develop a deep and lasting friendship on our journey back to the monastery before begging for favors. But it seems there's no time for niceties in this world. So, capable stranger, let's get right to it. Where does your allegiance lie?" Claude asked.</p><p> </p><p>"If it's alright with all of you, we need some time to think," Yuan said, sparing Byleth of having to make a choice.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, of course, how thoughtless of us. Take the time you need," Dimitri said.</p><p> </p><p>"All right, that's enough with the small talk. It's time to head back to the monastery," Alois instructed.</p><p> </p><p>"Looks like we'll have to pick this up another time," Claude said as he and the rest leave.</p><p> </p><p>“Of all things to happen, I certainly didn’t expect this,” Yuan commented.</p><p> </p><p>“I agree. Come on, let’s go,” Byleth said as she took Yuan’s hand.</p><p> </p><p>Yuan smiled at her before they followed the others. Both having a feeling their lives would change a lot from this meeting.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yuan stats:<br/>Level: 2<br/>HP: 26<br/>Str: 12<br/>Mag: 14<br/>Dex: 6<br/>Spd: 7<br/>Lck: 5<br/>Def: 3<br/>Res: 8<br/>Charm: 3</p><p>Class: Commoner</p><p>Equipment:<br/>Corseca: A lance forged from magic. Deals magic-based damage<br/>Mt: 9 Wt: 0 Hit: 95 Crit: 5 Range: 1 Durability: 40 Rank: E<br/>Bodhi Blastia: (Crest of Bionis) An ancient, magical bracelet once thought to have been lost millennia ago. Grants the user the ability to use magic regardless of class.<br/>Prt: +1 Wt: 0<br/>Vulnerary</p><p>Crest:<br/>Crest of Bionis: A mysterious crest of the titan who once ruled the very world before falling. Occasionally prevents enemy counterattacks when using a weapon and increases Mt during magic attacks.</p><p>Skills:<br/>Strengths: Sword, Lance, Reason, Faith<br/>Weaknesses: Axe, Armor, Flying<br/>Natural Talent: Brawling</p><p>Abilities:<br/>Foresight: If foe initiates combat or unit’s HP is below 50%, grants Hit/Avo +50 during combat<br/>Lance Prowess Lv 2<br/>Reason Lv 2<br/>Sword Lv 1<br/>Faith Lv 1</p><p>Magic:<br/>Energy Blast (Reason):<br/>Uses: 10 Mt: 5 Hit: 100% Crit: 0 Range: 1-2 Weight: 3 Effect: None<br/>First Aid (Faith):<br/>Uses: 15 Mt: 7 Hit: 100% Crt: 0 Rng: 1 Effect: Restores HP for an ally<br/>Combat Arts:<br/>Sonic Spear:<br/>Dur: -3<br/>Rng: 1<br/>Mt: +10<br/>Hit: +10<br/>Avo: +0<br/>Crt: +5<br/>Effect: Pushes enemy back one space<br/>User: Yuan only</p></blockquote></div></div>
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